Romeo Lavia Set to Return as Reece James Remains Sidelined

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has provided a significant injury update ahead of this weekend’s Premier League fixture against Brighton. The Blues are set to welcome back 20-year-old midfielder Romeo Lavia, who has been out of action for the past five weeks due to a hamstring injury sustained in training.

Lavia, who joined Chelsea from Southampton in a £53 million transfer, has been limited to just one substitute appearance last season after dealing with several injury setbacks. Despite this, the Belgian international impressed in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on the opening day of the current campaign and later appeared as a substitute in a Europa Conference League match against Servette.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Maresca expressed his optimism about Lavia’s return, though he remains cautious about the midfielder’s starting status.

“Romeo is back available,” Maresca confirmed. “We will see [whether he can start the game or come off the bench]. We have one more session and then we will decide. The important thing is that he’s back and available, which is very good news.”

In contrast, there was no such positive update for right-back Reece James, who remains sidelined with an ongoing injury. Maresca revealed that James’ condition is unchanged, saying, “With Reece, he is still out, and there is no real update on him at the moment.”

Midfield Dilemma for Maresca

Lavia’s return presents Maresca with a selection dilemma in midfield, where he could potentially start alongside fellow summer signing Moises Caicedo. The Chelsea manager is enthusiastic about the prospect of the two working together but emphasized that Caicedo, while already performing well, still has room for improvement.

“He [Caicedo] is a top player, he is very good,” Maresca said. “But like all top players, he can improve, and for sure he will. The way he is playing at the moment is fantastic.”

Maresca also downplayed concerns over the Ecuadorian’s hefty price tag, which has drawn significant attention since his £115 million transfer from Brighton.

“About the price, it is not a Moi problem; it is the market that decides the price,” the Chelsea boss explained. “Most of the time, because clubs pay a lot of money for players, we expect them to always be the best. It is not like this. Moi has to enjoy himself, play, work hard, and be happy. He should not think about the price because it’s not his problem.”

With Lavia back in the fold and Caicedo settling in well, Chelsea will be hoping to secure a much-needed win against Brighton as they look to build momentum in their Premier League campaign.